Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybantsa sat behind tables about 20 feet apart inside the T-Mobile Center, the site of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament, a couple of weeks ago, dutifully answering questions about their upcoming freshman seasons. Peterson and Dybantsa had been ranked Nos. 1A and 1B among prep basketball players for years, their paths seemingly always intertwined.
NHL's Eastern Conference Has Incredible Historic Parity
It might be hard to believe, but November is already here. With this, the first month of the NHL season has officially passed.
Normally, at this point in the season, fans are starting to get a clearer idea of which teams are likely to make or miss the playoffs. However, this is certainly not the case in the Eastern Conference right now.
Every team in the Eastern Conference currently has a points percentage of .500 or better. That has never happened by Nov. 4 in the history of NHL conferences, which were established in the 1974-75 season.
Even the Philadelphia Flyers, which are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, have a 6-5-1 record and .542 points percentage.
The Boston Bruins once had a 3-6-0 record after losing six straight games in regulation. Yet, they have now improved to a 7-7-0 record after winning each of their last three games. Going by points percentage, they're last in the East at .500.
The Tampa Bay Lightning also struggled out of the gate, but they have turned things around. After starting the campaign 1-4-2, the Bolts are now 6-4-2 after winning five straight.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins, which many expected to be among the NHL's worst clubs, have instead been one of the league's top teams early on. They have an 8-4-2 record and are second in the Metropolitan Division standings.
Every Eastern Conference team having a .500 points percentage or better has also led to the standings being very close early on.
The Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Lightning, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Bruins each have 14 points.
Meanwhile, the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Flyers round out the Eastern Conference standings with 13 points each.
At the top of the conference, the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and Penguins have 18 points each. The Habs have played only 12 games and have a .750 points percentage, while New Jersey and Detroit have played 13, and Pittsburgh has played 14.
Five points separate first and last in the East, so things are incredibly packed, and one hot or cold streak can completely change a team's position in the standings.
On Nov. 4, 2024, the Penguins, Islanders, Sabres, Canadiens and Flyers all had points percentages below .500. The year before that, the Flyers, Blue Jackets, Pens and Senators were in that category.
The Western Conference, meanwhile, does not have the same parity.
The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets lead the way with 19 and 18 points, respectively. While the East has six teams with a points percentage of more than .600, the West has seven. And five squads sit below .500: the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames.
With all of this, there is no question that parity in the Eastern Conference is incredibly high right now. While things will almost certainly change on that front, fans are being treated to some exciting, very competitive hockey early on.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Kings reportedly to sign veteran big man Precious Achiuwa for frontline depth
Sacramento has an All-Star level center starting in Domantas Sabonis, but when he goes to the bench coach Doug Christie has had to turn to 6'9" Drew Eubanks, who is undersized for the role.
Enter veteran big man Precious Achiuwa, who the Kings are about to sign, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by other Kings writers (Jake Fischer was first in reporting Sacramento’s interest on Monday).
Achiuwa has played for Miami, Toronto and New York in his five NBA seasons, averaging 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds a night. He is also undersized at 6'8" but plays bigger than that. He was in training camp with the Heat this season, but was never expected to make their already full roster.
The Kings are expected to waive little-used big man Isaac Jones to create the roster spot for Achiuwa, Charania reports.
Sacramento is off to a 2-4 start this season, ranked in the bottom 10 in the league in both offense and defense.
Kevin Durant claps back at Draymond Green for Warriors offense vs. defense claim
Kevin Durant claps back at Draymond Green for Warriors offense vs. defense claim originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
“Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships,” legendary football coach Bear Bryant famously said.
Enter Kevin Durant.
Durant, on Netflix’s “Starting 5” series, argued offense wins championships.
“You have to score baskets if you want to win a championship,” Durant said. “Playing defense, we can get any one of y’all in here to bend your legs, not touch the basketball, slide left and right, and contest the shot. That’s easy. But when we’re talking about winning at a high level against the best of the best, you cannot just do that and win a basketball game.”
Enter Draymond Green.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Green was asked about Durant’s view on defense.
Amick: …Then you have the messaging from some of your peers, like when Kevin [Durant] shares his views about defense and how, in essence, he thinks anybody can do it.
Green: I think when you look at any team that won a championship, they had a great defense. And if you look at most teams that couldn’t quite get over the hump, oftentimes it’s [because] they couldn’t get stops. That fact still remains, and I think that those who don’t believe it, don’t win. It’s very simple. Those who don’t believe defense is as valuable as it is, they simply just don’t win. I don’t think anyone’s ever really been hell-bent on caring about the opinion of those that don’t win, because your opinion equals zero.
Amick: So I hear you, but Kevin has won.
Green: He won here, [and] the defense here was…
Amick: It was incredible.
Green: Absolutely.
Durant, responding to the quote from Green’s interview on X, clapped back with a follow-up question.
The offense also was incredible in the back-to-back championship seasons with Durant on the team. The Warriors led the NBA in offensive rating each of the three seasons he played with Golden State from 2016-17 to 2018-19.
But, the 2016-17 team was a defensive juggernaut as well. Their 101.1 defensive rating that season was second-best in the league. Coupled with their league-leading 113.2 offensive rating, they ended the season with a whopping 12.1 net rating.
It’s the second-best net rating since the statistic was calculated starting in the 1996-97 season, only outdone by the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship team this past season (12.6).
OK, so maybe both offense and defense, together, win championships?
Green, later in his interview with Amick, noted that he and Durant have different opinions on basketball, and that offense is also highly important in his own play.
“But me and ‘K’ have had a million basketball conversations. So again, I know how he thinks about the game of basketball. His opinion didn’t surprise me one bit,” Green said. “But like I said, I also don’t view myself as a guy who just defends. I’m great at that — absolutely phenomenal at that — but I know that’s not all I do. Like, I’ll f— your offense and your defense up, and make your coaching staff have to go ponder, like, ‘Huh, how do we figure that out?’”
So, perhaps the question of “offense vs. defense” is a bit more nuanced.
Andre Burakovsky Scores In His Return To Seattle But Kraken Defeat Blackhawks 3-1
After Saturday's loss to the New York Rangers, the Seattle Kraken were in desperate need of a bounce-back performance.
The result against the Rangers wasn't bad; picking up a point in any game is vital, but the process of getting the point was poor. They were thoroughly outplayed and were almost no threat offensively outside of the two goals they scored.
Against the Chicago Blackhawks, they were able to flip the script.
The Blackhawks threatened more frequently than the Kraken did, but the Kraken took their chances well and beat the Blackhawks 3-1.
The final shot total was 30-24 in favor of the Blackhawks, but despite holding a two-goal lead in the third period, the Kraken outshot the Blackhawks 9-6. The Blackhawks had the advantage in high-danger chances at 5-on-5 (14-12) and the expected goals (3.16-1.78) according to Natural Stat Trick. Still, an outstanding performance from Joey Daccord and timely goals were enough.
Jamie Oleksiak started the scoring in the second period with a seeing-eye shot from the point. Berkly Catton was centimetres away from deflecting in his first NHL goal. Matty Beniers would add to the lead on the power play about five minutes later, scoring his second goal of the season.
About halfway through the third period, former Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky scored his fifth goal of the season to cut the lead in half. Burakovsky was ravaged by injuries during his time in Seattle, and it played a big part in why the Kraken felt the need to deal him away in the off-season. With five goals and 10 points in 12 games playing alongside Connor Bedard, the move has seemingly paid off for both sides.
Andre Burakovsky has goals in three straight games🔥 pic.twitter.com/YLxcscgDHn
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 4, 2025
The Blackhawks' attempt at a comeback was stymied by captain Jordan Eberle's fifth goal of the season.
With the two points, the Kraken have sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division, but the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights have a chance to regain their claim tonight as both teams are in action.
The Kraken are back in action on Wednesday when they host the San Jose Sharks in the final contest of their current five-game homestand.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Came Back From The Dead: 'It Shows How Good We Can Be'
TORONTO - If you want to win a hockey game in the NHL, you gotta play all 60 minutes. Or, in the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night, a good 20 will do.
The Leafs came back from the dead against the high-flying Pittsburgh Penguins for an improbable 4-3 victory after being down 3-0 after two periods of lifeless hockey that saw them being outshot 25-8.
A pessimist would say the game was a symptom of a flawed Toronto team that just isn't the same since Mitch Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights over the summer. An optimist might say the Leafs found themselves in that third period.
"It shows how good we can be," said right winger Bobby McMann, who scored the game-winning goal. "That third period is how we need to play all the time. We need to be smart with our puck decisions, continue to work hard and with speed, be competitive and hungry."
Outside of McMann, Toronto's other goals came from their superstars: Auston Matthews got the comeback started, while William Nylander notched the next two to stun the Penguins, which had been sailing along through 40 minutes.
Nylander had returned to the lineup after a brief injury, and his presence was obvious.
"He's a gamer," McMann said. "He knows how to play in those big moments and contribute and he did just that tonight."
Just as impressive was Matthews' performance. Not only did he help offensively, but he was a demon on the PK during a crucial kill in the third period, one which could have turned the tide back in favor of Pittsburgh. Matthews was tenacious on the puck-carrier and used his big frame to bully Pittsburgh's point man out of the zone to relieve pressure.
"He's blocking shots, snapping draws back, getting his stick in lanes and disrupting plays," said goalie Anthony Stolarz. "For him to lead by example is huge for us."
Penguins' Ben Kindel Is Playing His Way Off The Canadian World Junior TeamPittsburgh Penguins rookie Ben Kindel continues to strengthen his case to stick around in the NHL, which could be bad news for Canada's world junior squad.So what happened between the second and third period? How did the Leafs turn things around so dramatically?
"Just energy, passion and emotion," Matthews said. "The first two periods weren't pretty, we couldn't really get much going on either side of the puck. The message for the third period was 'Go work, get one goal and see what happens.' I'm proud of the way we fought back, but obviously you don't want to put yourself in that position to begin with, so that's something we want to clean up right away."
That second intermission also featured players and coach Craig Berube voicing displeasure regarding what had occurred to that point.
" 'Chief' came in and said a few things - you can use your imagination on that," Stolarz said. "We're big boys, we knew that wasn't our game."
So now the Maple Leafs find themselves top-three in the Atlantic Division after a scuffling start to the campaign.
Will they take the lessons they learned in the Pittsburgh win and build off them? That would certainly go a long way in helping this particular Toronto squad establish an identity.
There's a lot of hockey to be played, but if the Leafs have begun to figure out who they are and what will make this cast successful, they'll be playing more than just regular-season games once again.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Mets' Frankie Montas exercises $17 million player option for 2026
Right-hander Frankie Montas has exercised his $17 million player option to remain with the Mets for the 2026 season.
Montas underwent elbow surgery in September and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season, though his $17 million salary will count against the Mets' payroll number for CBT threshold purposes.
Signed by the Mets last offseason to bolster the starting rotation, Montas had a disastrous first season in Queens. After a lat strain delayed his season debut until June 24, Montas struggled mightily. In seven starts, Montas pitched to a 6.68 ERA while allowing seven home runs. He then lost his spot in the rotation and made two relief appearances before he was shut down with what the team called a significant elbow injury.
In all, Montas made nine appearances with the Mets in 2025, pitching to a 6.28 ERA with a 1.603 WHIP.
Montas exercising his option was one of a handful of Mets roster moves announced on Tuesday morning.
Mets acquire reliever Joey Gerber from Rays
The Mets have acquired right-handed reliever Joey Gerber from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Gerber, 28, has a 3.60 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 10 strikeouts in 20.0 innings in two big league seasons.
He appeared in 17 games for the Mariners in 2020, and did not pitch in the majors again until 2025, when he tossed 4.1 innings over two games for the Rays.
In 153.0 innings across five minor league seasons, Gerber has a 3.47 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 12.2 strikeouts per nine.
The Mets have lots of work to do this offseason when it comes to putting the bullpen together.
Aside from A.J. Minter (who exercised his player option for 2026 on Monday) and Brooks Raley (whose club option for 2026 was picked up on Tuesday) there are no 2025 bullpen members who are a lock to be back.
Edwin Diaz opted out of his contract on Monday to become a free agent, though it stands to reason that the Mets will make a strong push to re-sign him.
Trade deadline acquisitions Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Gregory Soto are all free agents.
Members of the Mets' 40-man roster who could be relief options next season include Huascar Brazoban (who is arbitration-eligible), Jonathan Pintaro, and Dylan Ross.
Reed Garrett, who has been a mainstay the last two seasons, is expected to miss the entire 2026 season due to Tommy John surgery.
Former Blackhawks Forward Shining With New Team
Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Pius Suter had a career year with the Vancouver Canucks in 2024-25. In 81 games with the Canucks this past season, he set new career highs with 25 goals, 21 assists, and 46 points in 81 games.
Due to his strong season, Suter landed a nice two-year, $8.25 million contract with the St. Louis Blues in free agency this summer. So far, he is off to a good start with his new club.
In 13 games so far this season with the Blues, Suter has recorded five goals, three assists, eight points, and a plus-2 rating. He also has been heating up as the season rolls on, as he has two goals and four points over his last four games. This included him scoring the game-winning goal for the Blues in their most recent matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 3.
With all of this, Suter is certainly making an impact during the early days of his Blues tenure. This is especially so when noting that he is currently on a 31-goal and 50-point pace.
Suter kicked off his NHL career with the Blackhawks during the 2020-21 season. In 55 games that campaign for Chicago, he recorded 14 goals, 13 assists, and 27 points. This would be his lone season with the Blackhawks, as he signed with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2021 NHL off-season.
Fantasy Basketball Stock Up Stock Down: Jonathan Kuminga taking a leap to begin fifth season
Welcome back to “Stock Up Stock Down.” Now into November, we’ve got a still-small, but larger sample size of games to react to with Week 2 officially in the books. There have been some pleasant surprises, and also more than a few worrisome trends that are worth discussing.
Let’s talk about them.
Milwaukee has found its answer at point guard, and Rollins is a must-add after a monstrously productive week.
→ Watch the NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock:The Magic take on the Hawks at 8pm ET, followed by the undefeated Thunder at the Clippers at 11 pm ET. Both games are available on Peacock. Check your local listings for the NBC game in your area.
STOCK UP
Ryan Rollins, PG, Bucks
Ryan Rollins is one of the hottest names in the NBA, and deservingly so. In his six starts following the Kevin Porter Jr. opening-night injury, he’s scored in double figures each time, including two games with 25 or more points. He’s also tallied at least seven assists in four of the starts, while draining 11 three-pointers over the past four games. Porter Jr.’s Game 1 ankle injury preceded a recent knee injury suffered during a team workout that led to surgery and will sideline him for around another month. Rollins will keep his spot in the lineup for at least the time being, which could make him one of the trendier roster additions in fantasy leagues.
Jonathan Kuminga, SF, PF, Warriors
While we've only reached November, about two weeks of basketball is enough for me to feel confident that this version of Jonathan Kuminga the Warriors are currently getting is not a fluke. The three-point shooting appears to be a real improvement, while the rebounding and slight step forward as a playmaker are nice additions to his game that have provided slight boosts to his fantasy production. More importantly, however, is that it appears his fit with the Warriors is there, which was rarely the case a season ago. He’s one of the younger players in Golden State’s rotation, which is valuable alone when considering the ages and wear on the bodies of a lot of the Warriors’ main guys. I like the path Kuminga has started on and am looking forward to seeing where it can take him. Stock up.
KUMINGA BLOCK.
— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2025
KUMINGA AND-1.
He's got 6 in the first of Game 3 on ABC pic.twitter.com/WMwTGplWEu
Jrue Holiday, PG, Trail Blazers
Given the age and the usage over the past two seasons in Boston in a complementary role, it was likely very easy (and understandable) for fantasy players to close the book on Jrue Holiday’s time as a productive point guard. But instead of closing the book, he’s turned back the pages and transformed back into a true lead guard with the potential to stuff the stat sheet on a nightly basis. Up until Monday’s loss to the Lakers, the 17-year veteran had tallied the most threes (2.5) and assists per game (8.7) of his career, while averaging his most points per game (18.2) since his time in Milwaukee. He had one of his least productive games of the season on Monday, but the Trail Blazers have been good to start the season, with Holiday’s contributions on the court playing a massive role. If they remain good, there’s a high likelihood he continues functioning as a high-usage guard.
“Ice Trae” will be sidelined for at least four weeks after spraining his MCL last week.
Raphielle JohnsonSTOCK DOWN
Trey Murphy, SF, PF, Pelicans
If we’re looking solely at the two most recent Pelicans games, Murphy might not make a ton of sense as a “stock down” player. But even with a slight upward trend of late, those two recent performances aren’t coming close to the type of lines many expected the versatile two-way forward to consistently put forth in his fifth NBA season. His current scoring averages are at their lowest since his sophomore season, while the shooting splits from the field and from beyond the arc are career lows at the moment. Given how the 2024-25 campaign went for Murphy and him still being a young player, it doesn’t seem likely that his production will remain insignificant for an extended period of time. However, the Pelicans are 0-6 as I write this, with negative discourse surrounding the state of the organization and its outlook. Murphy rounding back into form isn’t an inevitability.
Jakob Poeltl, C, Raptors
The start to Poeltl’s 2025-26 season has been an unideal one. He’s dealt with a back injury that’s kept him in street clothes for Toronto’s last three games, but even before the injury, he’d been significantly less productive statistically than he had been a season ago. He’s currently down 8.0 points and over 4.0 rebounds per game while playing fewer than half of the possible 48.0 minutes per game across his four appearances. The good news for those fantasy managers who may have Poeltl rostered is that the four-game sample size is incredibly small for a proven veteran, and he’s remained Toronto’s starting center despite seeing fewer minutes. Still, what to expect moving forward feels hard to predict.
Domantas Sabonis, C, Kings
It’s been a rough start to the season over in Sacramento. The Kings own a 2-5 record, one of the worst defenses in the league, and their best players are failing to make a substantial impact. More specifically, Sabonis is struggling to make land his usual production on offense. He’s scoring his fewest points (14.5) and tallying his lowest amount of assists per game (4.0) since his third NBA season, back when he had yet to become a full-time starter in this league. If it weren’t for his sustained dominance on the glass, the concerns from a fantasy basketball standpoint would be even greater. The season is still young, however, a pessimistic view going forward for a player on a team that doesn’t seem to have a great plan of action moving forward seems fair.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Struggling Wild Seeking Help, Sabres' Levi Might Need A Change Of Scenery
The Minnesota Wild began this season looking to take the next step toward Stanley Cup contention.
That hope was buoyed by their pre-season re-signing of superstar left winger Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year contract extension.
Entering November, however, the Wild find themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They still have enough time to regain their footing, but GM Bill Guerin has reportedly turned to the trade market to find some help for his struggling roster.
On Oct. 31, Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco reported a team source claimed Guerin was shopping for a forward to add some scoring punch among the Wild's middle six forwards. Di Marco suggested Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri and Boston Bruins forwards Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt as trade targets.
All three have surfaced in recent trade speculation, especially Kadri and Zacha. However, the Flames and Bruins haven't gone into sell mode yet as they hope to salvage the season.
Zacha and Mittelstadt would be the more affordable in terms of salary. They're also younger than Kadri, making them better potential long-term fits than the Flames center. If any of them become available, it'll likely be in the second half of the season. However, that could be too late to help the Wild.
The Athletic's Joe Smith and Michael Russo expressed doubt that Guerin will find a suitable impact trade that can provide immediate help to the Wild. Given the limited talent available, they feel that this club has little choice but to look within to improve their performance.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Updates On Bruins' Zacha, Blue Jackets' Chinahkov And BluesThe Bruins' struggles continue to make Pavel Zacha the subject of trade speculation, along with Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov. The Blues, meanwhile, remain patient with their core players.Turning to the Buffalo Sabres, their goaltending logjam had Daily Faceoff's Carter Hutton and Jeff Marek recently pondering the future of Devon Levi. The 23-year-old was considered the Sabres' goalie of the future, but he's had difficulty cracking the lineup.
The Sabres podcast After The Whistle (hosted by former NHLers Craig Rivet and Andrew Peters) claimed that Levi was rumored to have asked to be moved before he was returned to the Sabres' AHL affiliate in Rochester.
Since then, there's been no additional reports claiming Levi wants a trade, or any indication that the Sabres are entering trade offers for the young netminder. Nevertheless, this could be a situation worth watching given the limited depth of available goalies in this season's trade market.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Alex Bregman, Lucas Giolito, Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz and Cody Bellinger become free agents
NEW YORK — Boston third baseman Alex Bregman and right-hander Lucas Giolito, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Díaz and New York Yankees outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger were among the players who turned down player options or exercised opt outs and become free agents.
San Diego pitcher Robert Suarez also turned down his option and went free on the third day of the five-day free agent window.
A total of 153 players have become free agents following the end of the World Series and several dozen more potentially can go free depending on whether team, player and mutual options are exercised.
Bregman and the Red Sox agreed to a three-year, $120 million contract in February and he gave up $80 million for 2026 and ’27, of which half each year would have been deferred and payable through 2026. He gets $40 million for his one year with Boston, of which he received $20 million this year. He also gets a $5 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, 2028, and $20 million payable in annual $2 million installments each June 15 starting in 2035.
He hit .273 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in 114 games. A 31-year-old three-time All-Star third baseman, Bregman was sidelined between May 23 and July 11 by a strained right quadriceps.
Giolito, a right-hander, declined a $19 million mutual option with a $1.5 million buyout, ending a contract that paid him $38.5 million for two seasons. The 31-year-old returned on April 30 from elbow surgery in March 2024 and was 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts and 145 innings.
Alonso received $30 million for one season under his two-year, $54 million deal and declined a $24 million salary for 2026. The five-time All-Star first baseman, who turns 31, batted .272 with 38 homers, 41 doubles and 126 RBIs.
Díaz earned $64 million for three seasons in the five-year, $102 million contract he agreed to in November 2022, including $7.35 million in deferred payments due through 2039. The three-time All-Star gave up salaries of $18.5 million in both 2026 and 2027 that were in his player option. If he had exercised his option, the Mets would have had a $17.25 million team option for 2028 with a $1 million buyout.
A 31-year-old right-hander, Díaz had 28 saves in 31 chances and was 6-3 with a 1.63 ERA. He missed the 2023 season after tearing his right patellar tendon while celebrating a Puerto Rico win at the World Baseball Classic.
Bellinger, acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs last December, earned $57.5 million from the three-year, $80 million contract he reached in February 2024. He declined a $25 million option for 2026 and instead will receive a $5 million buyout payable in equal installments on Jan. 15 in 2026 and 2027. A 30-year-old outfielder and first baseman, he batted .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs — including .302 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs at Yankee Stadium.
Suarez gave up $16 million from his five-year, $46 million contract, declining $8 million player options for 2026 and 2027. The 34-year-old right-hander, a two-time All-Star, was 4-6 with a 2.97 ERA and an NL-high 40 saves in 45 chances.
Atlanta infielder Ha-Seong Kim declined a $16 million player option from the two-year, $29 million contract he agreed to in February with Tampa Bay, a deal that paid him $13 million. The 30-year-old batted .234 with five homers and 17 RBIs for the Rays and Braves, who claimed him off waivers on Sept. 1. Kim didn’t make his season debut until July 4 because of right shoulder surgery in late 2024.
Boise State basketball stunned by Division II Hawaii Pacific in 2025-26 season opener
Boise State men's basketball, which was picked third in the Mountain West, was stunned in its season opener, falling to Division II Hawaii Pacific
Mets decline Drew Smith's option for 2026 season
The Mets have declined their $2 million option on right-handed reliever Drew Smith for the 2026 season.
Smith, 32, had inked a one-year deal with the aforementioned team option in February of 2025 after having his second Tommy John surgery the summer prior.
In 17.2 innings over 19 games for the Mets in 2024, Smith had a 3.06 ERA and 1.52 WHIP while striking out 23 batters -- a rate of 11.7 per nine.
His season ended after an appearance on June 23, and he underwent Tommy John surgery with an internal brace procedure on July 13.
Smith, who has spent his entire big league career with the Mets, debuted with the club and 2018 and has posted a 3.48 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 196.1 innings over 191 appearances.
The Mets have lots of work to do this offseason when it comes to putting the bullpen together.
Aside from A.J. Minter (who exercised his player option for 2026 on Monday) and Brooks Raley (whose club option for 2026 was picked up on Tuesday) there are no 2025 bullpen members who are a lock to be back.
Edwin Diazopted out of his contract on Monday to become a free agent, though it stands to reason that the Mets will make a strong push to re-sign him.
Trade deadline acquisitions Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Gregory Soto are all free agents.
Members of the Mets' 40-man roster who could be relief options next season include Huascar Brazoban (who is arbitration-eligible), Jonathan Pintaro, and Dylan Ross.
Reed Garrett, who has been a mainstay the last two seasons, is expected to miss the entire 2026 season due to Tommy John surgery.
Red Wings Wrap Up Western Swing With Tough Test vs. Golden Knights
The Detroit Red Wings wrap up their Western road trip on Tuesday with one of their toughest matchups of the season against the Vegas Golden Knights. With star power across the ice including Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, breakout winger Pavel Dorofeyev, and several others, Detroit will have a major challenge on its hands. The Red Wings will look to stay hot and build on their recent surge, having won four of their last five games, a stretch that began with their dramatic comeback from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Blues two weeks ago.
During that run, winger Alex DeBrincat has been one of the NHL’s hottest players, tallying four goals and four assists for eight points in five games. His strong play has also helped sophomore center Marco Kasper snap out of an early-season slump, highlighted by his two-goal performance against the LA Kings last Thursday. The duo will aim to keep their momentum going as they adjust to playing alongside Mason Appleton while veteran Patrick Kane remains sidelined.
Red Wings Could Target Familiar Face From Stanley Cup Contender To Bolster Blue LineDetroit eyes a reunion with a dependable defenseman from a Stanley Cup contender to shore up their struggling blue line.Lineup Storylines
It's been impressive to see the Red Wings continue to edge their way out of tough spots and earn much needed wins. Their offense has done most of the heavy lifting with the defense struggling to keep the puck out of their net. Over their five-game hot streak, they've battled to stay on top of their goal differential with 18 goals scored but also 16 goals allowed. Their recent performances against the Blues and Sharks where they allowed just two goals need to be more consistent as it's difficult to ask the offense to continually get four or five goals a night.
The loss of Patrick Kane hasn't been evident just yet but as they are continue to battle their way through games, once the offense starts to cool down in certain areas, they'll need a player like Kane that can come in and keep them in a game with clutch scoring. His current replacement in a guy like Mason Appleton, isn't necessarily built to score goals but to be impactful in other areas of the ice.
Other players in the lineup have also started to slow down, putting more pressure on DeBrincat, captain Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond to continue producing. Veteran winger James van Riemsdyk was brought in for his sharp consistency at producing 40 or more points a season, yet so far he has just one goal and an assist. After four standout games, J.T. Compher is now without a point in five games despite being a 40-50 point player and Andrew Copp has gone 11 games without a goal.
The Red Wings will need a balanced attack on Tuesday if they hope to defeat a Golden Knights team that ranks among the league’s top seven offenses, averaging 3.55 goals per game. That number climbs even higher at home, where Vegas scores an impressive 4.60 goals per game. The Golden Knights have been one of the NHL’s toughest home teams, posting a 59-22-6 record with the fifth-best home offense since the start of the 2023-24 season, averaging 3.51 goals per game in that span.
Vegas distributes its scoring as well as any team in the league, with Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner leading separate lines, while veteran Brandon Saad and former 43-goal scorer William Karlsson provide firepower deeper in the lineup. Colton Sissons and Keegan Kolesar anchor one of the NHL’s best fourth lines, giving the Golden Knights a dangerous scoring threat on every shift. Detroit’s defense will need to tighten up considerably after allowing 27 goals over its last seven games, the second-most in the league during that stretch.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
DET ML (+) | VGK ML (-)
DET +1.5 (-) | VGK -1.5 (+)
O/U 6.0 Goals
The Red Wings and Golden Knights have squared off just 13 times with Detroit surprisingly holding the upper hand historically with a 7-6-0 record, including wins in three of their last five matchups. Vegas has struggled to maintain their home ice advantage in this matchup with just a 3-3-0 record in home matchups versus Detroit. These matchups have waivered from low- to high-scoring with just seven of their 13 matchups totaling six or more goals so we can't pin down a trend for how this matchup will go.
Patrick Kane is someone the Red Wings would've loved to have in this spot as he performs well against the Golden Knights like his three-point performance in Detroit's last matchup versus Vegas where he was involved in all three of the Red Wings' goals in a 6-3 loss. They will instead turn to Dylan Larkin, who has also put up solid numbers versus the Golden Knights with a pair of goals and ten assists for 12 points over his 12 career games versus Vegas, including points in eight of their last ten matchups with three multi-point games.
The Golden Knights will bring plenty of offensive firepower into this matchup, but one player the Red Wings won’t be thrilled to face again is a familiar name from their Atlantic Division days, Mitch Marner. The 28-year-old winger, formerly with the Toronto Maple Leafs, has been a consistent thorn in Detroit’s side, racking up 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points in just 28 career games against them. That includes 11 multi-point performances and a current streak of five straight heading into Tuesday’s contest. Over his last 12 games versus the Red Wings alone, Marner has tallied 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points, making him a player Detroit’s defense must key in on to avoid getting burned yet again.
Goalie Matchup:
Detroit: John Gibson Expected (Season: 4-3-0 record, 3.32 GAA, .875 SV% | VS VGK: 6-18-5 record, 3.37 GAA, .905 SV% in 30 Starts)
Vegas: Akira Schmid Expected (Season: 5-1-0 record, 2.73 GAA, .892 SV% | VS DET: 0-1-0 record, 5.00 GAA, .833 SV% in One Start)
Detroit’s AHL Griffins Break Record Not Seen in 24 YearsGrand Rapids win on Sunday marks the first time since the 2000–01 IHL season that the Griffins are the league’s last remaining undefeated team.Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.